(GEORGETOWN, Del.) - The Brandywine Valley SPCA bid $880,000 to win the auction for the vacant Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary and plans are now in the works to utilize this 11,500 square foot building.
This facility that sits on 13 acres of land along Shingle Point Road in Georgetown was designed to rescue animals that need a little more rehabilitation and training time. It has been vacant since 2013.
The Brandywine Valley SPCA intends to continue and expand upon the work of Safe Haven. The goal will be to work with animals and behavior trainers to get them adoptable and move them into the new adoption facility in Georgetown. There will also be a kitten nursery so that the underage kittens that need to be bottlefed or come in with their mothers but are not old enough yet for spade and nudering can be fostered there in the building.
Linda Torelli, Director of Marketing and Programs, tells WRDE: "We've been putting all the pieces in place to open quickly, such as getting contractors lined up to complete the repair work. We're currently waiting for USDA signoff on the sale, then it will be 45 days until closing. From there, we'll move with a sense of urgency on all the repairs and equipment installation needed to open so we can begin helping Delaware's animal victims as quickly as possible."
Deferred maintenance is only to be expected for a building that has been sitting vacant for 5 years.The Brandywine Valley SPCA is looking to raise an additional 200,000 dollars to follow through with all plans to get the new facility up and running. At this facility alone the Brandywine Valley SPCA hopes to save hundreds if not thousands of lives each year.
The new facility is expected to open the end of this year or beginning of next. Future plans include a senior sanctuary for older animals and animals whose owners have since passed.